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  • Home
  • Blog
    • Blog
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    • Apartment
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    • Life List
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      • 100 Bucket List Ideas
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      • Couples Bucket List Ideas
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  • Travel
    • ‘Round the World Travel
    • My First Backpacking Trip to Europe
    • USA Travel/Road Trips
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
    • Europe
      • Belgium
      • Czech Republic
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Scotland
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
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      • Colombia
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Little Goat - Heart in My Hot Chocolate
February 13, 2014
in Bad Decisions, England, Europe, London, relationships, Round the World, travel, United Kingdom

On boys, babies, deal breakers, and bad decisions.

"Fuck the future. It would've been nice to have you in my present for a little while." A heart in my hot chocolate at Little Goat. If I'm going to be alone, I'm going to need chocolate.   I had been drunk the night before receiving that message,...

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Cork, Ireland
November 18, 2013
in Bad Decisions, Cork, Europe, Ireland, Round the World, travel

On Getting Robbed. On the Kindness of Strangers.

There are some shitty people in this world. Like the girl who checked into my hostel in Cork, in Ireland, who took my laptop and my credit card, who charged a train ticket and a hostel, who fled. But let's not focus on that person, OK? Because...

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Galway, Ireland
October 31, 2013
in Bad Decisions, Europe, Galway, Ireland, relationships, Round the World, sex, travel

When I woke up I was all alone, with a broken heart and a ticket home.

I already never wanted to leave. I'd only been in Galway for a couple of hours and had only made it down the main stretch of restaurants and shops. But I felt like I could stay there forever, trying out different pubs, listening to the live...

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TBEX Dublin
October 21, 2013
in Bad Decisions, blogging, conference, Dublin, Europe, Ireland, Round the World, TBEX, travel

#BadDecisions #TBEX

It was a sign. I wasn't supposed to go to Ireland. I wasn't supposed to go to TBEX - the travel blogging conference I had been holding a ticket for for months. I was supposed to turn around and stay home and stay far away...

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Medellin, Colombia
September 5, 2013
in Bad Decisions, Colombia, Latin American Adventure, Medellin, Round the World, South America, travel

Scenes from Medellin, Colombia

  On our first night in Medellin, Poli and I went to one of the concerts for Feria de las Flores. Near the beginning of the night the MC told the crowd to introduce yourself to the others around you. We said hello to a woman...

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Bogota, Colombia
August 26, 2013
in Bad Decisions, Bogota, Colombia, Latin American Adventure, relationships, Round the World, sex, South America, travel

On (not falling in) love at first sight. (or, why does everyone hate on Bogota?)

It wasn't love at first sight. Of course, it rarely is. I arrived in Bogota on a Sunday afternoon, after an 8-hour bus ride from San Gil, and opted for a too-expensive taxi into town. Pointing to one of the recommended hostels in my Lonely Planet, I...

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Wednesday night party at Aqua Lounge in Bocas del Toro, Panama.
July 19, 2013
in Bad Decisions, Bocas del Toro, Central America, Latin American Adventure, Panama, relationships, Round the World, sex, travel

The three lies of Bocas del Toro.

1. I am not drinking tonight. I arrived in Bocas del Toro on the Fourth of July. In the morning, in Puerto Viejo, I watched Joey Chestnut break his hot dog eating record with the help of a vpn, a borrowed cable login, and espn.com, and...

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13 drink drinking challenge on Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua
July 5, 2013
in Bad Decisions, Central America, Isla de Ometepe, Latin American Adventure, Nicaragua, Round the World, travel

That time my hostel had a free 13-drink drinking challenge…

My hostel in Ometepe had a 13-drink drinking challenge that was free for all guests on their fourth night. I wasn't really all that keen on attempting it but all my friends were doing it (peer pressure, anyone?) and, if nothing else, I figured I...

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Skinny Dipping in El Nido, Philippines.
September 5, 2012
in Asia, Bad Decisions, El Nido, Life List, Philippines, relationships, Round the World, sex, travel

Life List #88: Go skinny dipping.

"When I met you I thought you were together," the Korean girl sitting across from Alex and I at the bar said, "you seemed really close." This was after we answered the other guy's question of "where did you two meet," with "at the hostel yesterday." And...

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Clubbing in Boracay, The Philippines.
August 17, 2012
in Asia, Bad Decisions, Boracay, Philippines, relationships, Round the World, sex, travel

The time is now.

I had some of the crazier nights I've had in a while while in Boracay. Nights where this suppressed dancer danced and sang all night long. Nights where we listened to acoustic music and drank happy hour Red Horses or two for one cocktails....

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Hi, I’m Val. I spent most of my 20s in a standstill, unable to pick which path in life I wanted to take. I wanted the nomadic life of a traveler but also wanted the husband, the condo, and the teal couch. Unable to decide which life I wanted more, I did nothing. I lived my life in limbo. When I turned 30 I’d had enough of putting my life on hold and decided to start “choosing my figs.” So, I quit my job and bought a one-way ticket to Europe. After 3 years on the road I’m back in Chicago, exploring the city, learning guitar, decorating my apartment in too much teal, cuddling my cats, and planning my next adventures.

            

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2006 –

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WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR LIFE?


Feeling stuck? Sick of living your life in limbo? Want to finally do all those things you always say you're going to do? Sign up for the Choosing Figs newsletter now to get a FREE e-book with tips on starting your own life list, inspiration for things to do in life, and worksheets to get your life goals out of your head and into action!


Your information will be used to send you our Life List e-book and subscribe you to our bi-monthly newsletter. View our full Privacy Policy.



            


MEOW | Is Val in Chicago?